Copper’s stunning rally this week continued in New York on Thursday with the metal touching a high of $3.32 a pound ($7,310 a tonne), the highest since January 2014, before paring some of those gains as worries about labour-related supply disruptions in key producing regions resurface.

Rio Tinto’s copper and diamond chief executive Arnaud Soirat has put pressure on Mongolia to support its planned $5.3 billion Oyu Tolgoi mine underground expansion, saying foreign companies will be looking at it as a “test case” for future investment.

Mongolian Copper Corporation (MCC) is considering international arbitration ahead of an expected government appeal against a court ruling the state’s attempt to buy MCC’s stake in one of Asia’s biggest copper mines is illegal, the company said.

On Tuesday copper for delivery in May advanced to a two-week high on the Comex market in New York at $3.065 per pound or $6,755 a tonne after positive manufacturing data from China, the globe’s number one metals consumer.

Rio Tinto Group has yet to be contacted by Swiss authorities over a bribery investigation related to Mongolia’s giant Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine and the site’s $5.3 billion expansion remains on track, according to the producer’s top executive.

Copper in London surged to the highest in almost four years after China ordered its top producer to halt output to combat winter pollution, fueling a rally this year driven by optimism about demand and supply disruptions at mines.

On Monday, the copper price surged to $3.25 a pound or $7,165 a tonne, its highest level in more than three-and-half years over optimism about the strength of the economy of top consumer China and worries about global supply.

Canadian-listed miner Kincora Copper on Friday said the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development would acquire a 6.16 percent stake in the company for 1.4 million Canadian dollars ($1.1 million) to further its exploration in Mongolia.

December copper futures trading on the Comex market in New York powered ahead on Monday after hedge funds pushed bullish bets on the metal to fresh record highs. Copper touched a high of $3.1095 a pound ($6,855 per tonne) up more than 1% from Friday’s closing price and the highest since October 2014. Copper is [...]

In February copper hit a 21-month high on the back of optimism that Donald Trump’s $500 billion-plus infrastructure plan would add fuel to the fire of Chinese economic stimulus already working its way through commodity markets.

In February copper hit a 21-month high on the back of optimism that Donald Trump’s $500 billion-plus infrastructure plan would add fuel to the fire of Chinese economic stimulus already working its way through commodity markets.

The copper market is likely to see a small shortage as early as this year because of a lack of new supply and the removal of up to 800,000 tonnes over the past 18 months in response to modest prices, Rio Tinto’s copper and diamonds chief will say on Tuesday.

In New York on Tuesday copper for delivery in May suffered a second day of markdowns trading at $2.6075 per pound or $5,750 a tonne as output disruptions at the world’s biggest mines appear to be closer to being resolved. Copper is down more than 3% this week.

In New York on Tuesday copper for delivery in May enjoyed a third day of gains adding 1% to $2.6505 per pound or $5,843 a tonne on the back of upbeat economic data from China and continued labour disruptions at the world’s biggest mines.